Where to Find Millennials’ Favorite New Food Trend: Rolled Ice Cream

You may have seen it gracing your Instagram feed and popping up in your Snapchat stories. Thai rolled ice cream has taken social media by storm, and we’re digging in.

Forget boba, cronuts, and sushirittos — rolled ice cream is the newest cool food trend, and we want to know what makes it so damn popular. Making its way to California from street vendors in Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, and the Philippines, Thai rolled ice cream (also known as stir-fried ice cream) is made to order by hand. Sweet milk is poured on a cold surface, then scraped off into a spiral shape. The rolls are spooned into a cup and topped with all sorts of decadent toppings like whipped cream, fresh fruit, chocolate sauce, and even cookies. Want to give it a shot and wrack up those Instagram likes yourself? Here’s where to find rolled ice cream in the Bay Area.

Flavors at this Inner Sunset rolled creamery rotate, but you’ll find traditional Asian delicacies like matcha, Thai tea, lychee, and ube, or more Americanized combos like S’mores, Cookie Monster, Strawberry Cheesecake, and Cafe Ole. A cup will set you back about $8, but the toppings are free and unlimited. You can choose from all sorts of fruits, nuts, cookies, and sauces, plus fun extras like sprinkles, Cap’n Crunch and other childhood cereals, lychee jelly, and pretzels.

After making a killing on the San Jose scene last year, Icicles opened three more locations to eager stir-fried ice cream fans. Icicles pasteurizes their ingredients daily in small batches and only use cream, milk, eggs, and sugar to create their rolled ice cream. You’ll find more flavor options here like Mai Thai, Gotcha Matcha, Berry Squad, Oreo, PG&J, Bravocado (that’s avocado!), Nutella and Chill, and Cereal Killer. Spruce it up with the usual slew of free toppings like cookies, syrups, and fresh fruit. The dairy-challenged will be thrilled to know that Icicles also offers dairy-free options.

This small, modern tea shop and creamery has Instagram written all over it. Lines assemble out the door for a chance to dig into trendy rolled ice cream for $6. Flavors come with pre-designated toppings like Thai tea ice cream topped with boba and housemade coconut pudding or Matcha with fresh strawberry and red bean. The ice cream base is made 24 hours in advance and often sells out, so get here early to ensure you have your pick of flavors.

Be prepared to wait for your ice cream rolls at this East Bay outpost that also dolls out regular ice cream, smoothies, and milk teas. Your $7 cup comes pre-topped, so choices are more limited here. Opt for a fruit flavor like Strawberry with cereal, blueberry, and strawberry; something a little more offbeat like Purple Yam with cereal, purple yam, and mochi; decadent Cookies & Cream with oreo, mochi, and strawberry; or classic Matcha with red bean, mochi, and wafer.

After feasting on dim sum at next door Koi Palace, head into Snowflake for some rolled ice cream. These massive bowls can easily feed two or three people, and come in flavors like sesame, strawberry mango, green tea, Thai tea, and cookies and cream. The ice cream is 100% organic and come with six rolls, so it’s perfect for sharing with friends. You can dine-in or take it to go, and don’t miss out on the shave snow and other Thai treats.

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